Weiss Schnee
"Its amazing that this just continued with no issues..."
Only a day's break from the tournament and they were back to it. A festival were people beat the shit out of each other to celebrate peace waited for no one! Weiss chuckled gently at that thought while no one was paying attention, happy she could just relax now that things had settled down... mostly. Afterall, how could things be calm with today's fights?? The colosseum was as full as the days previous, and the crowd seemed even more enthralled in the morning air, practically shaking in their seats with excitement for what was to come.
Today was the semi-finals of the tournament, and to mark the first battle of the exciting two fights in store for the world to see today... was perhaps the battle everyone was most excited to see. Even moreso then the finals themselves. A battle that hadn't been featured in a Vytal festival for what was probably over a hundred years... a battle between two Harbingers.
Though not everyone was as keen to watch as the rest of them... Weiss found herself included in the 'less then dying with excitement' bunch, feeling mostly relief that she finally got the chance to sit and just watch two people fight... it was honestly just serving as a break for all the chaos the previous days had brought her... honestly, she wasn't sure if she could handle constant chaos that happened seemingly without rime or reason for too long-
"Oh my God this is what being a parent is going to feel like."
Squashing that disturbing thought into the back recesses of her mind along with all the other things she didn't want to think about at the moment... Weiss was left glancing across the private booth of royalty she once again found herself in. Her father still looked incredibly pompous, as if he hadn't been knocked out only two days earlier by a roar. Leo was still incredibly anxious at nearly everything that happened, Gillingham was still a bitch... and Carmine was back in her spot on the couch.
Even after hearing that she was fine... it was still so weird to see her relaxing without a second thought. Weiss could still easily picture what her body looked like torn in half and laying in a puddle of blood... yet she lounged about right now like that hadn't happened at all... It nearly made Weiss shudder. What else had Carmine gone through in order to be able to just move past something like that?
"Your Majesty? Are you alright?" She turned her gaze to her left, Clover standing guard just by her chair and checking in on her... apparently her observing of everyone else not as subtle as she thought. She gave him a small nod, but unfortunately there was now attention on her.
"So. Where is the Queen Consort?" A voice like nails on a chalkboard to Weiss's ears... Gillingham really did want to push all of her buttons today. The question made Carmine turn her head in curiosity, but she spat no comments.
"Ruby is currently being well observed and treated. We are unsure exaclty how she fell under mind control again, but Glynda is confident that she can find the issue." Weiss had practised lying more then she had practised being geniune, but this lie especially was even more well rehearsed. Not that anyone baring Leo likely believed her anyway...
"And where is this happening?" Her eyebrow twitched as Gillingham opened her mouth again... but taking a deep breath... Weiss managed to answer without resorting to trying to strangle a bitch.
Ruby Schnee
Ruby wasnt stupid. She knew that by all meaning and definition... this was a punishment. This was the result of her breaking rules and laws and it was a punishment dished out to other people who had been accused of crimes before as well. She knew plain and simple... that this was without question... a punishment.
But even still...
"House arrest dosent really feel that bad when you live in a castle."
Ruby Schnee, Queen Consort of Vale, the Rose Dragon... wasn't allowed to leave her house.
But, her house was the castle. It was hard to feel cooped up when you lived in a place so large you could go for a run throughout its halls and not have to pass the same room twice before working up a sweat. Between the gardens, the servants ready to bring her whatever she wanted, the library, her workshop, and anything else she could find in this place... it was highly unlikely that she was going to get bored anytime soon. Speaking of those other rooms she might find, she had actually located a TV! The castle had multiple rooms that could be called 'lounge rooms' if they didn't have such a different fancy name... which admittedly Ruby hadn't listened to when someone had shown her to it.
The TV was way nicer then any she'd ever seen before... which actually really surprised her. Between Jacques staying at the castle before it became Weiss's and Ozpin before him... Ruby wasnt really sure who out of the three would want a nice TV. Not that she was complaining, it left her with the perfect view to keep watching the festival. Funnily enough this screen was actually even better then the ones at the colosseum. While she could still barely make out the individual pictures, there were so many more of them that it was actually really difficult now. Ruby wasnt too sure how the magic in the screens worked exaclty. It was a projector that either connected to mana pipes or used a small amount of Dust to power a hologram spell that connected to a network of sorts... though it was too complex for Ruby to just theory-craft her way to the answer without actually taking a look at the internals.
A possible task for a later day if she somehow got bored.
Armed with comfy clothes, her cloak, and a plate of cookies, she had practically belly flopped onto a nearby couch and was ready and rearing for the fight to begin. This would be her chance to see Qrow fight seriously afterall! The time before the fight was taken up by views and showings of the different parts of the festival. Events and people celebrating in the city below, and lots of shots of people crowded in bars and watching the same thing as Ruby on the much smaller TV'S. Though, as time grew closer to the fight, Port and Oobleck began to give a breakdown of sorts on the fighters... which Ruby found interesting... she hadnt actually seen any of this watching live.
The private screens in the Royal booth were different then she guessed.
"Our first contestant in this battle is Pyrrha Nikos! The Harbinger of Conquest! Wielding a rare magic weapon-" Ruby almost smirked, that new toy of Pyrrha's had been her own creation... annoyingly Pyrrha had refused anything better then rare. "-and armed with her Support Magic Affinity, she also boasts an incredible plethora of leant Affinitys thanks to the power of Conquest! Including but not limited to The Hero's Affinity, and the Rose Dragon's Affinity!" Ruby actually did chuckle a little at that... those were the only peoples powers Pyrrha could use. Jaune had tried to convince her to use her power on more people... but that was a losing argument.
"Of course our next contestant is no slouch either, isn't that right?" Port seemed to have much less to say then Oobleck.
"Thats right! Qrow Branwen, the Harbinger of Death! Wielding a rare magic weapon and armed with a double Wind Affinity boosted by the Berserker eyes, on top of the Anti-magic Affinity granted by his title!" Ruby wasnt actually sure who's weapon was stronger out of the two... comparing her work to her mothers wasn't something Ruby wanted to do exactly, but ignoring that she had a double Silver Affinity while her mother didn't would be unfair.
Ruby raised a cookie to her mouth but paused before it touched her lips. Her eyes focused on the round shape and she had to concentrate to stop her memory from taunting her. Slowly, she managed to take a bite. The crunch actually helping her remind herself that it was a cookie and not... something else... afterall, her jaw was so strong as a Dragon that Carmine's body hadn't given any resistance at all-
With a sigh she put the cookie back on the plate and almost glared at the teasing pile of chocolate goodness... she had wanted strawberries before cookies, but eating something red right now was probably an awful idea...
"I'll try again when I get hungry..."
Pyrrha Nikos
"They're certainly excited aren't they?" She drew her sword and gave her opponent a pleasent smile. Standing in the arena, they were flushed on all sides by distant cheers and even some applause. Qrow seemed less enthusiastic about their excitement, but Pyrrha was enjoying the happy atmosphere... especially after the event two days ago.
Though, the whole festival seemed to carry an air of challenge anyway. Two fighters represented their kingdoms, and the winner was furthering their country's agenda and proving the power their monarch's wielded. Today though? At least for this fight? None of that. Pyrrha and Qrow fought for Vale, so their fight held no baggage from the kingdoms they represented, no pressure to do well or else make your home look bad... right now, they could enjoy this fight. Which was exactly what Pyrrha was going to do.
"You ready?" Qrow drew his large sword with an almost smile. The man always looked halfway between upset or just generally tired... but since that was just his resting face Pyrrha could never tell if he was ever actually upset.
"Of course." She took a deep breath as they both moved into stances, neither of them willing to risk a chance at the other catching them off guard as the fight started.
Pyrrha let the breath out... and her vision sharpened onto her opponent.
"Let the battle commence!!"
Thirty metres disappeared instantly, or rather it was fifteen from each of them as they clashed in the centre of the arena. Their blades locked in an instant stalemate as they tried to overpower the other with brute strength. Qrow sported some light feathers on his arms, a sign of his mastery form, whereas Pyrrha had grown in bulk noticeably and now had tribal tattoos covering parts of her skin. They both tested the waters against the other while their blades remained locked, trying to see who out of them had the stronger build...
While Qrow easily beat her in pure mana, he lacked the Affinity necessary to make proper use of Enhancement magic. Pyrrha should have been a bit weaker then him physically, but thanks to her Support Affinity, she was able to Buff her strength with magic to even the difference between them. It wasn't as strong as Enhancement magic, but it was just enough to use for now to even the playing field.
They both smiled at the same time, with Qrow's resembling more of a smirk as they momentarily relished an opponent capable of keeping up with them.
Pushing away from the other, Pyrrha landed first on her feet and left the ground only an instant after touching it, sailing straight towards Qrow and beginning the first exchange of the fight. His sword held more reach then her own and was much heavier, the blade denying her swings left and right no matter how many times she attempted to hit him. To break his guard, she went for a desperate looking thrust to his head that he dodged with a simple tilt of his almost smug expression. Qrow swung in an attempt to take advantage of her dropped guard, but her sword extended out into a spear to block the strike, the handle extending and shooting back to over her shoulder and catching the weight of his own blade. The force applied to one end of the spear caused it to rotate as Pyrrha crouched and let it move, Qrow's own blow forced her spears blade to strike his head and send him flying momentarily before he caught himself in the air and settled on the ground.
Pyrrha stood with a smile and nodded at his defense. "You're using magic to transfer cutting damage into blunt force." It was why her spear head had launched him rather then cut him.
"Kinda... I'm not good enough at that kind of magic to keep a barrier like that up all the time." He took the chance to stretch a little as they spoke. "The magic I'm using just transfers any and all types of damage into straight damage." That confused Pyrrha for a moment, but he clarified before she could ask. "Like a health bar rather then a body you can strike weak points and vitals on. No matter where or how you hit me, the damage will be spread everywhere across my body."
"A defense that forces the opponent to just go for hits rather then being able to just get lucky with hitting a vital point... it works best against anyone worse then you skill wise."
She nodded and her smile brightened over even more. "I see. Forcing your opponent to land more hits is the general strategy."
"Well, preferably I wouldn't have to use the barrier. You're just something else Conquest." He chuckled and shifted back into a stance. "Let me know when you're all warmed up."
She nodded. The real fight hadnt started yet.
They met in another clash, this one holding a much more neutral alignment rather then Pyrrha or Qrow carrying the advantage. Pyrrha was mainly using the spear variation of her weapon now, it was better at landing odd hits here and there then her sword, and chip damage would slowly whittle away at his barrier no matter where she hit him. Anti-magic would likely cut straight through it as well, but turning this into a clash of mana would be a horrible idea given his Affinity for the typing, and his larger mana tank. The battle slowly gathered speed as air flew in all directions around them, each movement creating a gust of wind, each step causing the stone beneath them to groan and whine like it was going to be crushed. Each swing held enough force to be lethal against most opponents, but in this instance it just rendered the other Harbinger laughing with joy as they parried attack after attack, dodged swing after swing, and blocked strike after strike.
Qrow tipped the scales into his favor with the casting of a spell, his sword letting out a pulse of anti-magic that slowed her temporarily enough for him to start unleashing a flurry of blows against her that required all of her effort and concentration to deflect. She was being pushed back as he kept up the frenzy of swings, his sword like a wild blade of wind cutting through a storm as it seemed to switch directions and move sporadically with only the slightest twitch from its wielder. Pyrrha needed to regain the advantage, or at least push the fight back to neutral... but that was fine. Afterall, if he could use spells why couldn't she? The fight had only just begun... and they both had full mana tanks to burn.
Her eyes glowed with a Green light and Qrow's sword stopped in mid-air as it collided with a small floating strip of the same colour. The barrier delaying his strike long enough for Pyrrha to move in and take the advantage back.
They traded back and forth like this for a while. Neither of them returning to a neutral ground as they went back and forth, one would carry the advantage, then the other would let off a small spell to turn it back around, and repeat. The pattern was entertaining, and the carrying of the advantage lasted a shorter and shorter length each time, before eventually it came down to trading between every blow, and they found themselves at neutral again.
They stuck their hands up at the same time and with a blast of mana they both launched back from each other as they fired off a slightly stronger spell. Both of them took the chance to breath after the altercation and Pyrrha wasn't sure who started it but they both began to laugh.
"I really am enjoying myself Qrow." She moved back into a stance, her spear changing into a sword again as Qrow stood tall, holding his sword over his shoulder.
"You all warmed up?" They shared a smile and nod, before simultaneously they opened the valve of sorts.
The colosseum practically glowed with mana as they both let the Harbingers mana flood into their own at the same time. Pyrrha's eyes became a swirling mixture of different colours, almost like a rainbow as her hair began to lightly glow... followed by her skin starting to let off a faint radiant light as Holy Magic Enhanced her body.
Qrow's change was perhaps more drastic. A dark liquid reminiscent of a Grimm bubbled from his body and formed into a long void of a cloak with the hood pulled up over his head. Underneath it his body seemed to almost fade into an unviewable light, the only things remaining being his arms which remained outside the cloak, and his eyes which glowed as two deep red lights from wherever his face was under there. His weapon also matched his transformation. A long skeletal spine ripping through the blade and cracking it in multiple places, the spine seemed to angle and contort the weapon into a Scythes blade before extending down into a handle for Qrow to hold.
Both of them gave off a pressure that hadn't been matched yet in the festival this year, the only things coming close so far being the partially summoned Dagon, and Carmine's impressive final display of magic in the last fight.
"So. You using everything?" His voice was slightly distorted, but she could still hear him loud and clear.
"Yes. I'm using everything." Her body was now enhanced by the full power of her transformation, her Buff magic from her Support Affinity, the strength she gained from Conquests power, and the Holy Affinity casting Enhancement magic.
Qrow nodded and shifted into a different stance, holding the Scythe with two hands and preparing for a strike. Admittedly Pyrrha had never fought a scythe user before... but she should be stronger then him physically for now. This fight would end either before she got used to his fighting style, or after... and perhaps that would be the deciding factor.
Ruby Schnee
She was on the edge of the couch now, her body practically shaking with excitement as she waited for them to start again. The cookies behind her had been forgotten, and her attention was locked onto the screen.
"They're so cool! I want to be able to use a weapon like that!!"
But... something was off. She wanted to just enjoy and watch them fight amazingly... but... something about Qrow was bothering her to no end for some reason.
His stance... she couldve sworn it was wrong. Which was so weird to her! She'd never seen him fight with a scythe before so why did she think he was moving wrong??
"I mean... if he raised his arm just a little bit higher I think that would be better..."
It was such a weird feeling.
Qrow and Pyrrha instantly appeared in a clash, their movements too fast to be picked up properly by the screen, and even the wind took a moment to catch up to their sudden clash... but things got way more hectic once they started.
The flurry of blows from both of them was amazing. The swings and attacks all being too fast for the TV to properly show, and Ruby herself was only picking up every second or third attack... but again... something was off.
Qrow's movements... her mind kept insisting he was doing it wrong, no, not just her mind... her soul was aching from watching this fight. Every attack she saw came with a new complaint she was going to lodge with her uncle later, every dodge or parry spawned a new bead of annoyance in her mind... every step or inch out of place made her want to scream... till eventually she did.
"Oh come on Uncle Qrow!! Even I could do better then that!!" Her exasperation was at an all time high... before she really thought about what she had just said. "Could... I... do better then that...?"
"Is... is a Scythe... my weapon...?"
She wasn't sure... her brain suddenly exploding with questions and her body needing to move... she threw caution to the wind and rushed to the nearest window, flying out of it in a cloud of rose petals and sailing straight towards the colosseum.
She needed a better view of the fight to be sure.
